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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reaffirmed his company’s commitment to invest a staggering $600 billion in US infrastructure and jobs by 2028, a figure that drew attention earlier this year after he was caught apologising to former President Donald Trump for citing it at a White House dinner, said a report by TOI. In a recent Meta blog post, the company announced plans to build “industry-leading AI data centres” across the United States as part of its push to “create the next generation of AI products and personal superintelligence for everyone.” The statement reiterated Meta’s pledge to invest over $600 billion to bolster AI technology, infrastructure, and workforce expansion within the country. “Data centres are crucial to reaching these goals and helping America maintain its technological edge,” Meta said in the post. “That’s why we’re investing in building industry-leading AI data centres right here in the US ” The investment mirrors the same figure Zuckerberg mentioned to Trump during a Big Tech CEOs dinner at the White House in September, where the Meta chief was reportedly caught on a hot mic apologising for his answer. When Trump asked how much Meta was planning to spend in the US “over the next few years,” Zuckerberg replied, “Probably something like, I don’t know, at least $600 billion through 2028.” The former president appeared pleased, responding, “That’s a lot, thank you Mark, it’s great to have you.” Moments later, however, Zuckerberg turned and apologised, saying: “Sorry, I wasn’t ready … I wasn’t sure what number you wanted to go with.” The exchange quickly went viral, prompting Zuckerberg to clarify the incident on Threads. “I wasn’t sure which number he was asking about, so I just shared the lower number through ’28 and clarified with him afterwards,” he wrote, adding that “it’s quite possible we’ll invest even more.” According to Meta, its ongoing projects have already supported over 30,000 skilled trade jobs and 5,000 operational roles since 2010. The company claims to be one of the largest US customers of general contractors and manufacturers, bringing $20 billion in business to subcontractors nationwide. Meta also outlined its sustainability efforts, pledging to be water positive by 2030 and highlighting investments that have enabled 15 gigawatts of new energy capacity on US power grids. It further noted contributions of $58 million in community grants to schools, nonprofits, and local initiatives across the country. “As the importance of AI grows, so will the importance of data centres,” Meta said. “We’ll continue to build and scale infrastructure for the future of AI while supporting the communities that host us.” The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Big Tech’s influence and investments under Trump’s renewed presidential spotlight — and with Zuckerberg once again at the centre of both Silicon Valley ambition and Washington politics, the $600 billion figure is likely to keep echoing in both boardrooms and on Capitol Hill.
